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Leah steeled her nerves, preparing herself for the ial would be so disappointed if she didn’t do a kickass job of defending herself

Lord Qing zoo at his chest Suddenly, she was tossed back onto her rear, and the spoon went flying through the air Shocked, she watched it shoot straight into Darafer’s hand

He laughed, showing her the spoon "You were going to defeat me with this?"

She scrambled to her feet

Darafer’s slare "You will be attacked The only way to stop it is to joinher back onto the ground She struggled, but his superior strength kept her pinned down His fangs popped out, long, lethal, and sharp

Guang giggled "Bite her, bite her!"

Leah shook her head, but Lord Qing pressed down on her and held her head still

She gritted her teeth This wouldn’t kill her Think of it as a blood donation She’d donated before It was no big deal

"I can stop him," Darafer whispered "You knohat to do"

She bit her lip Darafer wasn’t going to let her die He wanted her alive

The fangs scraped her neck

"Stop," Darafer said

Lord Qing hissed, opening his mouth to bite

"I said stop" Suddenly Darafer was inside her cell, and with a flick of his hand, Lord Qing fell back

Darafer gave her an annoyed look "You won’t join"You pro

Darafer motioned to the next cell "Feed on hiasped, then screa teleported into his cell "No! Save s into his neck

With a sick churning in her sto noises

"He’s going to die, you know" Darafer crossed his arms "Since you refuse to save yourself, maybe you’ll save someone else I’ll stop the varee to join ree to be evil?

"It’s hopeless, you know," Darafer whispered "If you let hi in e yourI think he’s a goner"

"Stop!" She rose to her feet

Darafer s to join me?"

"I will not let you kill anyone" She lifted her chin "But get this straight, deree to it I have free will, and you can’t take that away from rew harsh and ugly "You think you can outsmart me with your precious free will? I’ll show you hoeak and pathetic you are!"

Hered eyes With a snarl, he advanced toward her

Leah ran, but there was nowhere to go Soon he had her cornered God help ht just as he pounced

She cried out when his jaws claal paced ier reed to help the didn’t appeal to them None of them wanted to be separated froht require Only Rajiv’s cousin Jia had volunteered

"Absolutely not!" Rajiv fussed at her in Chinese "It’s too dangerous"

"I’ to the palace so she could stand eye to eye with her cousin "My parents were slaughtered by Master Han, so I have every right to seek revenge Just as much as you!"

Rajiv planted his hands on his hips "You’re too young and pretty The vampire lords ant to feed on you"

"Let theer than you!" Rajiv yelled "They’ll force you into being a concubine"

She turned pale

Dougal groaned As desperate as he was to find Leah, he couldn’t allow an innocent girl to endanger herself

"Jia," a voice called froer descended the steps "You will not go I will"

"Grandfather, no!" Rajiv shouted

The Grand Tiger gave hio They will not suspect an old s to be their servant"

"But Your Erandfather waved hi on the throne all day," the Grand Tiger said "I wish to enduseful for us "Tell your leader that I will infiltrate Master Han’s caus asked in English

"His Eal clenched his prosthetic hand "This isn’t going to work It could take days to get a spy established in a ca useful We need to act now!"

"I understand yer - " Angus halted when bright lights suddenly lit up the sky "What the hell?"

"It’s a sign froer exclai steps and knelt in the courtyard

Rajiv rushed to his grandfather’s side, and Jia took the other side, her dagger still drawn

Dougal held a hand over his eyes as the light grew stronger and closer

On the riverbank, were-tigers gathered, pointing at the sky

The light divided into seven balls of fire that zoomed down to the courtyard, then hovered just inches above the stone pavement Each fireball took on the shape of aa sword extended toward the sky Their figures flickered in the heat of the fla up their bodies and down their extended arms, till only their swords were left ablaze

They wore pants and sleeveless tunics of royal blue Gold bands circled their upper arms and wrists, and their chests were arold Each one had shoulder-length hair, held back with a slender gold circlet that crossed their foreheads

One stood in front of the other six, and when he turned his sword of fire, pointing it down to the ground, the others followed suit They all lowered their arms, and when the tips of their swords tapped the paveuished with another swoosh

Rajiv and Jia fell to their knees beside their grandfather, and all three bowed

Dougal leaned close and whispered in Chinese, "Does this happen here often?"